Steve Kerr's new favorite player may have upgraded his status Sunday night.
Marreese Speights continued his run of fine offensive performances, putting in 28 points as the Warriors won their fifth consecutive game, a 91-86 grinder over the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
The win put the Warriors at 10-2, their best 12-game start in franchise history.
It was the fourth consecutive game in which Speights has scored in double figures, and his performance was as essential as it was timely.
The Warriors lost center Andrew Bogut and guard Leandro Barbosa in the first half and spent the rest of the game trying to hold off a plucky Thunder team without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Warriors committed only 10 turnovers, but they shot 35.5 percent, easily their worst of the season.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points but had one of the toughest shooting nights of this season, finishing 6-of-20 from the field.
Stephen Curry added 15 on 5-of-15 shooting, while Draymond Green finished with 10 on 3-of-11 shooting. Harrison Barnes took five shots and was scoreless.
Green led the team with nine rebounds, with Barnes grabbing eight, Thompson seven and Curry six.
They were indeed saved by the man Kerr recently said was his "new favorite player."
STANDOUT PERFORMER: Speights takes the honor and it wasn't close.
When he was 8-for-13 after three quarters, his teammates were 17-of-56.
Speights finished 11-of-18 (61.1 percent). His teammates finished 22-of-75 (29.3 percent).
TURNING POINT: Thompson hit two free throws with 5.7 seconds left to secure the game, but the crucial segment was an Andre Iguodala 3-point play that gave the Warriors an 88-82 lead with 2:22 left.
Though there were several perilous moments after that, the Warriors never again lost the lead.
INJURY UPDATE: Bogut and Barbosa left the game in the first half, and neither returned. The status of each is being evaluated.
F David Lee (strained left hamstring) remains out but is with the team. There is a chance he could return next weekend.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Warriors travel to Miami, where on Tuesday night they face the Heat at American Airlines Arena.
